Which part of people...that is the issue that you are avoiding...again!
Let's not get dramatic here . . . I'm not avoiding anything. But again you make
me the topic.
Do you believe that Jesus died to save the WHOLE man?
Yes.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 LITV
23) And may the God of peace Himself fully sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However the body of humiliation is not transformed until Jesus transforms it to be like His body of glory.
Philippians 3:20-21 LITV
20) For our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21) who will transform our body of humiliation, for it to be conformed to His body of glory, according to the working of Him to be able even to subject all things under Himself.
Do you believe that it is only when we wish to save our lives that we are saved...OR...when we lose our lives that we are saved?
Considering that Jesus said that we lose our life to save it, I'd go with that.
So which part do we give up. It is humanist to try to save the whole person. Feelings WILL get hurt as they are taken to the cross.
I suggest giving up all the fleshy ways of man, all of it!
We need to understand the vast difference in the internal mental/emotional landscape of the flesh and of the spirit. All these fleshy ways we so much of, that still feel so normal to so many. How many little jabs meant to tear down and not build up? Quick fleshy angers and resentments, and little lashings out.
Or patience and gentleness and truth.
Do you believe in the cross of Christ for believers?
Romans 6:3-13 LITV
3) Or are you ignorant that all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4) Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life.
5) For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the resurrection,
6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, so that we no longer serve sin.
7) For the one that died has been justified from sin.
8) But if we died with Christ, we believe that also we shall live with Him,
9) knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death no longer lords it over Him.
10) For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God.
11) So also you count yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12) Then do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its lusts.
13) Neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as one living from the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.
These questions are easily answered in the straightforward readings of the Bible, and only come into question if you question the straightforward reading.
Or only the free gifts given to people because of what Jesus did?
Only? no.
These are the points (issues) that lead to life and death...which you are NOT addressing.
Are you reading my posts?
The church of God is strictly based on the INNER MAN. The outer man with all the feelings and opinions must go to the cross for the sake of saving that inner man. Without going to the cross the inner man remains in bondage to the "protection" of the flesh. (Actually the bondage of the flesh masquerading as protection)
being defensive about the person is ALWAYS from the outer man. Do you see?
The Bible speaks in terms that we have been crucified with Christ, and now we are to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, in coming to know God better. There is of course a lot more that can be said.
I find staying with the Biblical terminology guards against error as I'm speaking with the words God chose.
To answer your question, if I see that being defensive about "the person" is ALWAYS from the outer man, on the one hand, there is the fleshy lust to vindicate one's self, to not be looked down on, like that. There is also correction that is not a defence, such as Jesus correcting the Pharisees over Who is His Father, and things like that.
Romans 5:1-6 LITV
1) Then being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2) through whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we glory on the hope of the glory of God.
3) And not only so, but we glory also in afflictions, knowing that affliction works out patience,
4) and patience works out proven character; and proven character, hope.
5) And the hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us;
6) for we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for ungodly ones.
Much love!